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I have seen firsthand what these boxes mean to children in need. I have seen the discipleship that occurs in the week, months, and years after a child receives a box.

Packing boxes MATTERS.

For many children, this is the first time they will learn about Jesus. Their shoebox is an invitation to life with HIM. A box and its contents are a tangible expression of God's love. We have a unique opportunity to win hearts for the Kingdom of God.

To motivate you and prepare your hearts, take a minute to watch what box distributions look like. I will say it again: the boxes you pack MATTER.

Over the next few weeks I will be visiting churches in my area to share the my story of distributing boxes in Ecuador. I will be posting about packing boxes. I want to shout from the rooftops how much these boxes MATTER!

After sitting with children while they open their boxes I gained a new awareness of what to put in a box. The following list is by no means exhaustive, but hopefully it gives you a great place to start!

Hygiene

These items are just plain necessary for so many children.

At one of the distributions we went to we heard children talking about not having to SHARE a toothbrush now that they had gotten their own. That is sobering.

We make sure our box has at least these 5 hygiene items:

1. Cup

2. Toothbrush/Toothpaste

3. Soap/Washcloth

4. Kleenex

5. Band Aids

6. Hair Accessories/Hair Brush

School Supplies/Learning

Next, school supplies are a wonderful addition to a box. Buy these when they are on sale after the start of school - or whenever you find them at a good price.

7. Pencils

8. Pencil Sharpener

9. Crayons

10. Journal

11. Stickers

12. Puzzle

13. Small tote for carrying school supplies

Toys

14. Small LEGO Creator sets - I witnessed a little boy get one of these sets in his box. He had never seen LEGOS before and I had the joy of helping him build something!

15. Sunglasses

16. Cars - look at these beautiful cars a group of senior citizen wood workers in my parents' community made for boxes this year:

17. Stuffed Animals - every child need something fuzzy to love!

Clothing/Accessories

18. T-shirt or Simple Sew Dress - A sweet friend of mine taught Anna and her own girls to sew simple dresses for boxes. Thinking about a child somewhere in the world pulling this dress out of a box makes me smile! This Pillowcase Dress is very simple.

19. Socks

20. Rubber Band Bracelets -- surely your kids can make loads of these for boxes! Check out some of our favorite patterns.

Most Importantly...

A note from you and a picture of the family/group that packed the box. - Be sure to include a Bible verse and/or message of God's love. Also give the child your address - you might just receive a letter in return from the child or the person who helped them open their box.

Are you packing boxes this year? Tell me about it!

I'm honored to be an Operation Christmas Child blogger. If you feel led, please help me spread the word by sharing this via social media or email - use the bottoms on the left side of the post!